MASTHEAD

EDITORIAL

KANIKA LAWTON, FOUNDER & EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Kanika Lawton is a writer, poet, and editor living in Toronto, Ontario. She is an MA student and graduate assistant at the University of Toronto's Cinema Studies Institute, where she teaches on horror films and sex in cinema. She is the Founder and Editor-In-Chief of L'Éphémère Review, Social Media Manager of Rambutan Literary, and a 2018 Pink Door Fellow. Her work has appeared in Ricepaper Magazine, Vagabond City Literary Journal, Hypertrophic Literary, Longleaf Review, and Rust + Moth, and profiled in The Ellis Review, Horn & Ivory Zine, and wildness. She is the author of Wildfire Heart (The Poetry Annals, 2018) and Loneliness, and Other Ways to Split a Body (Ghost City Press, 2018).

CHRISTIAN SAMMARTINO, MANAGING EDITOR & POETRY EDITOR

Christian Sammartino is the co-founder and editor-in-chief of TheRising Phoenix Review. He is currently studying Philosophy at West Chester University. His poetry is influenced by life in the Pennsylvania Rustbelt near his hometown of Coatesville. His work has appeared in Words Dance Publishing, Voicemail Poems, Werkloos, LehighValley Vanguard, and Yellow Chair Review. Sammartino was a Resident Poet for Lehigh Valley Vanguard during the summer of 2015. His first chapbook, Keystones, was released by Rising Phoenix Press in December 2014.

JESSICA THWAITE, ASSOCIATE EDITOR & LAYOUT EDITOR

Jessica Thwaite is a recent graduate of the University of Maryland, where she studied English and Creative Writing, and was a resident of the Jiménez-Porter Writers' House. A former editor and assistant for the publications STYLUS, Feminist Studies, The Paper Shell Review, and Atticus Review, she currently spends her days as an Assistant Editor to a small academic press near Washington, DC and her nights making and appreciating strange art. Her photography and collages have appeared in STYLUS and L'Éphémère Review.

BRITTANY ADAMES, ASSISTANT EDITOR

Brittany Adames is a Dominican-American writer. Her words have appeared or is forthcoming in CALAMITY Magazine, Bombus Press, Rumble Fish Quarterly, and For the Sonorous, among others. She studies creative writing and journalism at Emerson College and is a big fan of plantains.

SARAH FENG, COPY EDITOR

Sarah Feng is a freshman who attends Pinewood School (Los Altos, CA), a 2017 American High School Poets Just Poetry!!! National Winner and the author of two novels, Beneath (2014) and Chiaroscuro (2017). Her works have been recognized by the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, the California Coastal Commission, and the Write the World Novel Writing Prizes, and have been published or are forthcoming in the Los Angeles Times Insider, TAB: A Journal of Poetry & Poetics, The Rising Phoenix Review, and National Poetry Quarterly, among others.

EVANGELINE SELLERS, FICTION EDITOR

Evangeline Sellers is a twenty-something poet, writer, and editor. She is a recent graduate of the University of Strathclyde, where she received a joint honours degree in English, Journalism & Creative Writing. She collects postcards, notebooks, pin badges, and cosy jumpers. She loves her brothers and sisters, the beach, exploring abandoned places, and believing there's still some magic left in this world. Originally from the highlands of Scotland, she is a country mouse at heart, but lives in Glasgow with three of her favourite people, and lots of books.

VALERIE WU, NONFICTION EDITOR

Valerie Wu is a Chinese-American writer and activist currently attending Presentation High School in San Jose, California. She is deeply passionate about the intersection of ethnicity, migration, and human rights, and was the recipient of a National Gold Medal in the 2017 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards for her personal essay on race in America. Her journalism has been featured by The Huffington Post, Los Angeles Times Insider, and We Are Three Dimensional, and she serves as an International Goodwill Ambassador for Postcards for Peace, a UK-based charity aiming to raise awareness of global social issues.

ANIKA PRAKASH, ART EDITOR

Anika Prakash is a junior in high school and the editor-in-chief of Red Queen Literary Magazine. She was a participant in the 2016 Adroit Journal Mentorship Program and the 2017 Iowa Young Writers' Studio, and her poetry has been recognized by The Adroit Journal, Scholastic Art & Writing, and the Writers' Theatre of New Jersey. Her work has appeared in a Platypus Press anthology, Red Paint Hill, Noble Gas Qtrly, Hobart, The Ellis Review, deLuge, and Glass Poetry, among others.

CULTURE

RALKA F. SKJERSETH, MUSIC WRITER

Ralka F. Skjerseth is a card-carrying Lacanian whose soul is made of Valyrian steel. She loves Tolstoy’s idea of anarcho-pacifism that anarchism should be manifested with no coercion, and her music preference could switch from Trash Talk to Balmorhea really quick. She writes for zines and publishings sometimes when she’s not revolting, and her misadventures can be found at @raijaarseth.

CINDY SONG, ART + PHOTOGRAPHY CONTRIBUTOR

Cindy Song is a high school senior living in Rockville, Maryland. Her art and writing have previously appeared in Alexandria Quarterly, Cicada Magazine, and National Poetry Quarterly, among many others. Besides writing and painting, Cindy enjoys discovering new music and taking longs walks in nature.

CHESTINA CRAIG, ART + PHOTOGRAPHY CONTRIBUTOR

Chestina Craig is a poet and photographer who lives in Long Beach, CA with her cat. Her work has been published in Black Napkin Press, The Rising Phoenix Review, L’Éphémère Review, Femme Fotale, Button Poetry, and others. She has presented her work at The Presidents Commission on The Status of Women, The Young Women’s Empowerment Conference, Glassless Minds, The Santa Cruz Word Church, and more. She also has a bachelor’s degree in Marine Biology, and on occasion pets sharks and hangs out with octopuses. She helps organize The Definitive Soapbox and was a member of the CSULB slam team for two years. Her chapbook “body of water” is forthcoming October 2017 with Sadie Girl Press. Other talents include winning over the love of cats, eating whole pizzas, and falling in love with the glow of the sunset.

WEB CONTENT

NIKKI VELLETRI, BLOG MANAGER

Nikki Velletri is a high school junior from Massachusetts currently studying in Rhode Island. Her work has been recognized by the Alliance for Young Artists and Writers and the National Park Service, and it can be found in Kingdoms in the Wild and Eunoia Review, among others.

OLIVIA HU, INTERVIEW CORRESPONDENT

Olivia Hu is a student currently residing in Vancouver, Canada. She has been published in various literary magazines for her poetry and enjoys dabbling with her creative side. However, she is also experienced in journalism, serving as a magazine writer for HerCulture, and as an active editor for her school newspaper. She edits for other literary magazines on a national level as well. When she isn't bent over the desk writing, Olivia is wandering the streets of downtown or huddled over a book, dreamy-eyed.

AMY LAUREN, BOOK REVIEWER

Amy Lauren is a graduate music student in Mississippi. Among other publications, her poetry appears in Sinister Wisdom, Wherewithal, and Lavender Review. Her debut chapbook, Prodigal, received publication through Bottlecap Press in 2017.

KATHLEEN ARAGON, BLOG CORRESPONDENT

Kathleen Aragon is a senior English major at the University of Hawai'i at Hilo. Her poetry has been published twice in her college literary magazine, Kanilehua. She is also the founder of Trópica Laced Literary & Art Magazine and enjoys zines, honey lavender lattes, and her dog named Churro.

INGRID CALDERON, BLOG CORRESPONDENT

Ingrid Calderon is a Salvadoran refugee residing in Los Angeles. She's published in Leste Mag, Electric Cereal, Dryland, Seafom Mag, Anti-Heroin Chic, Occulum, etc... Her latest poetry book Zenith is published through Editions Du Cygne, a French publisher based out of Paris. Her goal is to be an anonymous voice that cuddles the masses. She wants to be relatable, not unique. Find her on Twitter @BrujaLamatepec.

MARIAH FERIA, BLOG CORRESPONDENT

Mariah Feria is a recent graduate from the University of East Anglia, Norwich and studied American Literature with Creative Writing. In her spare time she blogs about gender issues, mental health, and global politics for various online publications. She also maintains her own travel-focused blog. She hopes one day to publish a selection of short-stories, and continues to write creative fiction/non-fiction whenever she can.

TIAN TRAN, BLOG CORRESPONDENT

While she meditates, Tian Tran writes poetry and short fiction. While she clouds the sky, she takes glorified selfies. Her work has been recognized by the Scholastic Art and Writing Competition and various literary magazines. Her photography has appeared or is forthcoming in TRACK//FOUR, Sugar Rascals, and Rambutan Literary, among others. She would prefer she/her pronouns, and takes her tea without milk.

ANDRÉS IGNACIO TORRES, BLOG CORRESPONDENT

Andrés Ignacio Torres is a Venezuelan born and based writer of short fiction and poetry. He is currently majoring in Computer Engineering at the Universidad Simón Bolívar, while constantly practicing his wordcraft. His short stories and poems have won several awards, and have been published at several Latin-American online and print journals. He can be found on Twitter @andresitorresm, where he tweets mostly in Spanish.

EMERITUS

Many thanks to former members of our staff: Addison Namnoum, Aislinn Rossi, Arathi Devandran, Elizabeth Ruth Deyro, and Benjamin Napelee.